My dad learned this from his father who served overseas. Every year before the long weekend he starts this before sunrise and refuses to share until noon.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient Memorial Day potato hash is the dish my dad swore tasted like the breakfasts his own father made when he was stationed overseas. Every year, the Friday before the long weekend, Dad would be up before sunrise, rattling around the kitchen while the house was still dark, layering potatoes and onions into the old red slow cooker. By noon, the whole place smelled like browned potatoes and caramelized onions, and he’d finally lift the lid and let us have a taste. It’s simple, hearty Midwestern comfort food—nothing fancy, just potatoes, onions, and good sausage slowly rendering together until you’ve got a rustic hash with golden, crispy-edged cubes and soft bits running through it. This is the kind of make-ahead dish you start early, walk away from, and bring out at midday when everyone’s ready to eat.

Serve this Memorial Day potato hash straight from the slow cooker on warm plates or in shallow bowls. It’s wonderful with fried or scrambled eggs on top, a little ketchup or hot sauce on the side, and some sliced garden tomatoes or a simple green salad to freshen things up. If you’re feeding a crowd, pair it with grilled brats or burgers and a bowl of coleslaw, and let folks scoop the hash into soft buns for a hearty sandwich. A pot of hot coffee or a pitcher of iced tea on the table makes it feel like the long weekend has truly begun.

Servings: 8

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Grease the inside of a large slow cooker (5- to 6-quart) with nonstick cooking spray or a little neutral oil. This helps keep the potatoes from sticking and encourages those browned edges.

Peel the russet potatoes and cut them into roughly 3/4-inch cubes. Try to keep them close in size so they cook evenly. Rinse the cubes briefly under cold water and pat them dry with a clean towel to remove excess starch, which helps them brown a bit better.

Dice the yellow onions into small, even pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, crumble the bulk pork breakfast sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is fully cooked through and just starting to brown, about 7–10 minutes. You want it cooked but not dry. Do not drain off the rendered fat; that flavor is important for the hash.

Layer half of the potato cubes in the bottom of the greased slow cooker. Sprinkle with half of the diced onions, half of the cooked sausage (with some of the drippings), half of the salt, and half of the pepper.

Repeat with the remaining potatoes, onions, sausage (with drippings), salt, and pepper, creating a second layer. Scatter the butter pieces evenly over the top. If using smoked paprika, sprinkle it over everything now.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Set to LOW and cook for 6–7 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender and many of the cubes have developed golden, slightly crispy-looking edges around the sides of the crock. If you’re starting before sunrise and planning to serve at noon, aim for the full 7 hours on LOW.

About halfway through cooking (around the 3-hour mark), gently lift the lid and give the mixture a careful stir from the edges toward the center, trying not to mash the potatoes. This helps bring the caramelized bits into the middle and keeps everything cooking evenly. Replace the lid quickly so you don’t lose too much heat.

In the last 30–45 minutes of cooking, you can remove the lid and rest it slightly askew if you’d like the hash to dry out and brown a bit more around the edges. Watch that it doesn’t scorch; every slow cooker runs a little differently.

Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Serve the hash directly from the slow cooker on the warm setting, making sure each scoop has plenty of golden potatoes, soft onions, and bits of sausage throughout.

To keep this true to its four-ingredient spirit, the core of the recipe is potatoes, onions, sausage, and butter; the salt, pepper, and optional smoked paprika are just small pantry helpers. If you’d like to lighten things up a bit, you can use turkey breakfast sausage instead of pork, but add an extra tablespoon of butter or a drizzle of oil to make up for the leaner fat content so the hash doesn’t dry out. For a vegetarian version, omit the sausage and increase the butter to 1/3 cup; you can also add a cup of diced bell peppers or mushrooms for more flavor, but that will move it beyond the strict four-ingredient idea. If you prefer a crispier finish, spread the cooked hash onto a sheet pan and broil it for 5–8 minutes, watching closely, until the top browns and crisps further. For make-ahead camping or early-morning gatherings, you can prep the potatoes and onions the night before: store them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator, then drain and pat dry thoroughly before adding to the slow cooker in the morning so they don’t steam too much. Food safety tips: Always cook the sausage until no pink remains and the juices run clear before adding it to the slow cooker; starting with raw ground meat in a slow cooker can keep it too long in the temperature “danger zone.” Keep the slow cooker covered as much as possible so it maintains a safe cooking temperature. Once the hash is done, hold it on the WARM setting for no more than 2 hours, then cool leftovers quickly, refrigerating them in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Reheat leftovers to steaming hot (165°F) before serving, and use within 3–4 days.